Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool on Friday and lashed at out at the media for asking questions about the recent murder of a private airline executive in Patna.
“Your questions are completely wrong and inappropriate. Don’t call it an apraadh . A murder has taken place and there is always a motive behind a murder. We need to find out the reason for the murder. The police are looking into it,” the Chief Minister said.
IndiGo airline station manager Rupesh Kumar Singh was shot dead by unidentified persons outside the gates of his residence in Patna on January 12. On Friday, his family demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder.
Mr. Kumar said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) had placed Bihar in the 23rd position in law and order situation across the country.
“If you have any clues please share, but don’t demoralise the police like this. Aap kiske samarthak hain? ... Main aap se direct pucch raha hun (Whose supporters are you? I’m asking you directly)”, said the enraged Chief Minister.
“What was happening before 2005?” said Mr. Kumar in an apparent reference to the RJD government led by Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi. “Those who ruled for 15 years.. there were so many crimes during those years. Why don’t you highlight that?”
When media persons complained that the Director General of Police rarely took their calls, Mr. Kumar said he would speak to him. He later called the police chief over the phone and asked him to brief journalists.
Mr. Kumar had come to inaugurate the newly built 7.6 km six-lane R block-Digha road in Patna.
Later, Opposition RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav tweeted on Mr. Kumar’s outburst. “Nitish Kumar has surrendered before criminals. He has said nobody can stop crime, there were crimes during Harappan civilization too, just compare. He is asking media persons whether they know who the criminals are and why they were committing crimes.”
